VIDEO: New carrier bag charge rules come into force from October

From October, all large shops across England will have to charge for all single use plastic carrier bags. Image: PA Wire

From 5 October, all large shops across England will have to charge five pence for all single use plastic carrier bags they provide.

The rules will apply to any business that sells or delivers goods, however, for nationwide retailers with fewer than 250 members of full-time staff the charge is optional.

Any unused, plastic bags with handles which are 70 microns thick or less will have a charge to the customer - sealed packaging isn’t covered by the charge.

This charge will also apply to online shopping orders, for example, Tesco have contacted customers highlighting the change: “So that we comply at tesco﻿.﻿com, unless you choose a bagless delivery, there will be a charge per order for an online grocery delivery or collection… worked out based on the average number of carrier bags needed to pack an order.”

In 2014 British supermarkets gave out 8.5 billion plastic bags, an increase of 2.3 % compared with 2013 (8.3 billion). The new 5p charge should hopefully reduce the number of plastic bags, which will be beneficial for the environment.

Similar 5p charges were introduced in Wales in October 2011; followed by Northern Ireland in April 2013 and Scotland in October 2014.